Assessing the (In)Stability of Urban Art Paints: From Real Case Studies to Laboratory Investigations of Degradation Processes and Preservation Possibilities

Urban art as a shared expression of street art between artists, citizenship and municipalities has always had an important role in the social life and appearance of modern cities. However, the durability of urban and street artworks is susceptible to the degradation processes that the employed commercial paint formulations undergo once outdoors. These are complex mixtures of compounds, differently sensitive to environmental agents according to their chemical nature. Starting from the colorimetric analysis of murals created in 2010, 2011 and 2018 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, documenting their degradation already after a few months, this study aimed at understanding the stability of the most unstable paints used by the artists in these artworks. A multi-analytical approach evaluated the commercial products under the chemical point of view, after natural and accelerated ageing. Additionally, two manufactured anti-UV varnishes were evaluated for their possible use as coatings. The results pinpointed the weaknesses of the selected paints and highlighted how the application of an anti-UV coating might slightly affect the visual aspect of the artwork, though ensuring a greater resistance to the outdoor conditions due to their minor chemical sensitivity to environmental agents

Integrated Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Painted Fresco Surfaces Using Terahertz Time-Domain Technique

Terahertz time-domain (THz-TD) imaging plays an increasingly significant role in the study of solid-state materials by enabling the simultaneous extraction of spectroscopic composition and surface topography in the far-infrared region (3–300 cm^-1). However, when applied to works of art in reflection configuration, significant challenges arise, including weak signal intensity, multiple signal losses, and surface distortion. This study proposes a practical solution to overcome these limitations and conducts an integrated imaging and spectroscopic analysis on painted fresco surfaces, allowing for the retrieval of surface thicknesses, material distribution, and pigment spectroscopic signals. The study addresses the issue of surface geometrical distortion, which hampers the accurate determination of the THz phase signal. By tackling this challenge, this work successfully determines the absorption coefficient for each point on the surface and retrieves spectroscopic signatures. Additionally, the temporal deconvolution technique is employed to separate different layers of the sample and differentiate between outer and inner surface topography. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of THz-TD imaging in determining surface thicknesses, material distribution, and pigment spectroscopic signals. The results obtained highlight the potential of THz-TD imaging in investigating painted works of art, offering new possibilities for routine analysis in the field of cultural heritage preservation

Intraoperative determinants of infrainguinal bypass graft patency: A prospective study

Objectives:To evaluate a number of currently available methods for intraoperative assessment of infrainguinal bypass grafts (IBG) in terms of detecting technical errors and predicting graft failure.Design:Prospective open clinical study.Methods:Forty-nine patients undergoing 54 consecutive IBG were studied. Intraoperatively, the following measurements were performed: distal pulse palpation (DPP), continuous wave Doppler (CWD), pulse volume recording (PVR), and ultrasonic volume flowmetry (UVF), followed by intraoperative angiography of the entire graft and runoff vessels. The outflow resistance was graded according to the guidelines of the Society for Vascular Surgery and International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (SVS/ISCVS runoff score). Graft patency was determined noninvasively (PVR, colour Duplex) up to 12 months following surgery. Predictive values and likelihood ratios for the intraoperative tests in detecting a technical problem during the bypass procedure and in predicting early graft failure were calculated.Results:There were five immediate revisions for problems detected intraoperatively. Angiography did not identify any additional problems but assisted in the correct location of the problems detected by the other tests. DPP and CWD were highly significant indicators of the need for revision with likelihood ratios for a positive test of 14.7 (p < 0.01) and 12.3 (p < 0.01) respectively. PVR did not achieve statistical significance in this respect. None of the intraoperative tests was a statistically significant predictor of early graft failure. The SVS/ISCVS runoff score, on the other hand, predicted early failure with a PPV of 33% (likelihood ratio for a positive test of 4.9, p < 0.05). None of the grafts with a perfect SVS/ISCVS runoff score (n = 39) failed in the first postoperative month.Conclusions:Simple CWD insonation of graft and anastomoses is the best intraoperative indicator for technical inadequacies after IBG. Routine intraoperative angiography is not necessary and intraoperative anatomical imaging may be reserved for situations in which noninvasive documentation of technical success is absent. Contrary to the intraoperative haemodynamic test results, the SVS/ISCVS runoff score is a good predictor of early graft failure

A New Green Coating for the Protection of Frescoes: From the Synthesis to the Performances Evaluation

This work presents the formulation and characterization of a new product for the protection of outdoor frescoes from aggressive environmental agents. The formulation is designed as an innovative green coating, prepared through a zero-waste one-pot-synthetic method to form silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) directly in a chitosan-based medium. The AgNPs are seeded and grown in a mixed hydrogel of chitosan, azelaic, and lactic acid, by the reduction of silver nitrate, and using calcium hydroxide as precipitating agent. The rheological properties of this coating base are optimized by the addition of a solvent mixture of glycerol and ethanol with a 1:1 volume ratio. The new formulation and two commercial products (Paraloid® B72 and Proconsol®) are then applied by brush to ad hoc mock-ups to be evaluated for chemical stability, color and gloss variations, morphological variation, hydrophobicity, and water vapor permeability via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode, spectrophotometer analysis, stereomicroscope observations, UNI EN 15802, and UNI EN 15803, respectively. The results show that the application of the hybrid chitosan-AgNPs coating is promising for the protection of outdoor frescoes and that it can underpin the development of new products that address the lack of conservation strategies specifically designed for wall painting

Durability of open repair of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms

ObjectiveAs branched/fenestrated endografts expand endovascular options for juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JAAAs), long-term durability will be compared to that of open JAAA repair, which has not been documented in large contemporary series. The goal of this study was to assess the late clinical and anatomic outcomes after open JAAA repair.MethodsFrom July 2001 to December 2007, 199 patients underwent open elective JAAA repair, as defined by a need for suprarenal clamping. End points included perioperative and late survival, long-term follow-up of renal function, and freedom from graft-related complications. Factors predictive of survival were determined by multivariate analysis.ResultsThe mean patient age was 74 years, 71% were men, and 20% had baseline renal insufficiency (Cr >1.5). Thirty-seven renal artery bypasses, for anatomic necessity or ostial stenosis, were performed in 36 patients. Overall 30-day mortality was 2.5%. Four patients (2.0%) required early dialysis; one patient recovered by discharge. Two additional patients progressed to dialysis over long-term follow-up. There was one graft infection involving one limb of a bifurcated graft. Surveillance imaging was obtained in 101 patients (72% of survivors) at a mean follow-up of 41 ± 28 months. Renal artery occlusion occurred in four patients (3% of imaged renal arteries; one native/three grafts). Two patients (2.0%) had aneurysmal degeneration of the aorta either proximal or distal to the repaired segment, but there were no anastomotic pseudoaneurysms. Remote aneurysms were found in 29 patients (29% of imaged patients), 14 of whom had descending thoracic aneurysm or TAAA. Four patients underwent subsequent thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR). Actuarial survival was 74 ± 3.3% at 5 years. Negative predictors of survival included increasing age at the time of operation (relative risk [RR], 1.05; P = .01), steroid use (RR, 2.20; P = .001), and elevated preoperative creatinine (RR, 1.73; P = .02).ConclusionsOpen JAAA repair yields excellent long-term anatomic durability and preserves renal function. Perioperative renal insufficiency occurs in 8.5% of patients, but few of them progress to dialysis. Graft-related complications are rare (2% at 40 months); however, axial imaging revealed descending thoracic aneurysms in 14% of imaged patients, making continued surveillance for remote aneurysms prudent. These data provide a benchmark against which fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) outcomes can be compared

Simultaneous aortic and renal artery reconstruction: Evolution of an eighteen-year experience

AbstractPurpose: We reviewed an 18-year experience with combined abdominal aortic and renal artery reconstruction (AOR) with a particular focus on patients' clinical risk profile and surgical results in contemporary practice as compared with earlier experience.Methods: One hundred seventy patients underwent AOR during the interval January 1, 1976 to June 30, 1994. To examine parameters representative of current practice, the cohort was divided into group I patients (n = 110) treated before 1990 and group II (n = 60) treated between 1990 and 1994. Median follow-up duration for the entire cohort was 8.4 ± 0.6 years. Renal artery reconstruction patency and patient survival rates were calculated by life-table methods. Logistic and Cox regression analysis were used to determine predictors of perioperative and long-term morbidity/mortality rates.Results: Although demographic features changed little over the review period, the detection (56% vs 73%, p = 0.03) and treatment with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/coronary artery bypass grafting (11% vs 40%, p = 0.0001) of associated coronary artery disease were more frequent in group II versus group I patients. Alternatively, renal insufficiency was more frequent in group I patients. The operative mortality rate for the entire cohort was 6.5% (group I = 9% vs group II = 2%, p = 0.06). Changing trends of surgical techniques over the review period included (group I vs II, respectively) increased use of bilateral simultaneous renal artery repair (12% vs 25%, p < 0.005) and transaortic endarterectomy as the renal artery reconstruction technique (3% vs 25%, p < 0.0001). Favorable response in blood pressure control was noted in 68% of group II patients. The cumulative 5-year survival rate for all patients was 75% with an initial serum creatinine of 2.0 mg/dl or greater being the only negative predictor of late survival after regression analysis.Conclusion: The current operative mortality rate for AOR is in the range anticipated for aortic surgery alone, and this appears to be related to improved detection and treatment of associated coronary artery disease and intervention before major deterioration in renal function. These findings coupled with currently available natural history data relative to renovascular disease justify an aggressive approach with AOR when significant renal artery stenosis is detected during evaluation of aortic disease. (J VASC SURG 1995;21:916-25.

Outcomes following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR): An anatomic and device-specific analysis

ObjectiveWe performed a device-specific comparison of long-term outcomes following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) to determine the effect(s) of device type on early and late clinical outcomes. In addition, the impact of performing EVAR both within and outside of specific instructions for use (IFU) for each device was examined.MethodsBetween January 8, 1999 and December 31, 2005, 565 patients underwent EVAR utilizing one of three commercially available stent graft devices. Study outcomes included perioperative (≤30 days) mortality, intraoperative technical complications and need for adjunctive procedures, aneurysm rupture, aneurysm-related mortality, conversion to open repair, reintervention, development and/or resolution of endoleak, device related adverse events (migration, thrombosis, or kinking), and a combined endpoint of any graft-related adverse event (GRAE). Study outcomes were correlated by aneurysm morphology that was within or outside of the recommended device IFU. χ2 and Kaplan Meier methods were used for analysis.ResultsGrafts implanted included 177 Cook Zenith (CZ, 31%), 111 Gore Excluder (GE, 20%), and 277 Medtronic AneuRx (MA, 49%); 39.3% of grafts were placed outside of at least one IFU parameter. Mean follow-up was 30 ± 21 months and was shorter for CZ (20 months CZ vs 35 and 31 months for GE and MA, respectively; P < .001). Overall actuarial 5-year freedom from aneurysm-related death, reintervention, and GRAE was similar among devices. CZ had a lower number of graft migration events (0 CZ vs 1 GE and 9 MA); however, there was no difference between devices on actuarial analysis. Combined GRAE was lowest for CZ (29% CZ, 35% GE, and 43% MA; P = .01). Graft placement outside of IFU was associated with similar 5-year freedom from aneurysm-related death, migration, and reintervention (P > .05), but a lower freedom from GRAE (74% outside IFU vs 86% within IFU; P = .021), likely related to a higher incidence of graft thrombosis (2.3% outside IFU vs 0.3% within IFU; P = .026). The differences in outcome for grafts placed within vs outside IFU were not device-specific.ConclusionEVAR performed with three commercially available devices provided similar clinically relevant outcomes at 5 years, although no graft migration occurred with a suprarenal fixation device. As anticipated, application outside of anatomically specific IFU variables had an incremental negative effect on late results, indicating that adherence to such IFU guidelines is appropriate clinical practice